Brussels Airlines: the long wait for consummation with Lufthansa – Part 1

Brussels Airlines launched its second US route (Washington Dulles) on 18-Jun-2013, throwing the spotlight on what has become the forgotten carrier of the Lufthansa empire. It is descended from a long line of Belgian national carriers, but includes some LCC genes in its make-up through the union of Virgin Express and SN Brussels Airlines in 2007. It remains a full service carrier, albeit with a simplified entry level product on European routes, offering business class and a long-haul network.

Its network is largely short/medium-haul; it has no Asian or Latin American routes and only two North American routes, but it has a disproportionately large African network. This niche is what attracted Lufthansa to Brussels Airlines when it bought a 45% stake in 2009, but the union has not yet been fully consummated in spite of a long courtship that has permitted a complete takeover since 2011.

In Part 1 of a two-part report, we assess Brussels Airlines' recent growth and analyse its network. Part 2 will examine its financial progress.